When Errol Spence steps into the ring against Sebastian Fandora this October he will face three challenges.
And that doesn't even include the opponent.
Spence will be competing for the first time in 14 months, another extended layoff after three in his career, and his fifth in the past five years.
He lost by technical knockout to Terence Crawford in a bout in which Spence was outgunned, knocking him down three times – once in the second round and twice in the seventh – before being stopped in the ninth round.
And he'll essentially be making his debut in a new weight class, moving up to junior middleweight after spending most of his career at or just above the welterweight limit of 147 pounds, which Spence last appeared at in a brief appearance in September 2015 when he beat Chris Van Helden at 156.5 pounds.
Any one of these would be reason enough for a boxer to take part in a tune-up bout.
Long break? Time to knock the rust off.
A tough defeat? See how much it took from your body, and take care of your mind by regaining your confidence.
Moving to a new division? You have to get used to the weight gain and opponents that are bigger, hit harder and can take your shots better.
But that's not what Spence is going to do against Fandora. That's not what Spence generally does. This isn't the first time Spence has made a comeback like this. He did it in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
What Spence is doing is not what you would expect, and that's why he deserves credit for what he's doing.
Adding to this ominous triumphant obstacle, this will be Spence's first fight with trainer Derrick James, going all the way back to his amateur days. That pairing ended with a loss to Crawford. James sues Spence Claiming to be in debt Spence filed a countersuit..
Spence and his new trainer must prepare for Fundora, the tallest fighter in the junior middleweight division. Fundora's 6-foot-6 frame is so unconventional that when they fought in March this year, Tim Tsiu suffered a nasty cut from a self-inflicted accidental foul – not from a clash of heads, but from a slash of the head. Tsiu crouches down at the tip of Fundora's elbow..
Spence appeared to be next after getting between the ropes after the Tsiyu vs. Fandora bout, but Tsiyu and Fandora had verbally agreed to a rematch clause when Fandora replaced Keith Thurman at short notice, and Fandora's team seemed intent on honoring it.
Plans have changed.
Tsushu signed a contract to meet with Vergil Ortiz in Los Angeles on August 3rd, Just left due to injuryCrawford knew a rematch with Spence was not possible, and the WBO ordered Fandora to defend his newly won world title against Crawford, but Crawford would instead challenge Israil Madrimov for the WBA junior middleweight belt, with Madrimov facing Crawford in the main event on August 3.
All of this paved the way for Spence to face Fandora, which could have been next anyway.
Either way, it's no surprise that Spence chose to walk through that door.
After defeating Shawn Porter in a unification bout in 2019, Spence had his sights set on fighting former junior welterweight champion and former welterweight titleholder Danny Garcia, who was still a heavy contender at 147 pounds. But then Spence was in a horrific car accident that left him hospitalized. Footage of the accident showed Spence being thrown from the car. He was charged with DUI. Beyond the legal issues, there were concerns about whether Spence would be able to return to the ring, let alone fully recover overall.
Less than three months after the accident, Spence spoke about restarting his career, naming Garcia and Manny Pacquiao as possible targets.
“I don't want a warm-up match. I want to play at the highest level.” “It's a big step forward,” Spence said in December 2019.He wouldn't fight again until December 2020, 14 months after the accident, but the opponent was indeed Garcia.
“Nobody forced me to fight Danny Garcia. I could make the adjustments, but I wanted a dangerous opponent who would keep me focused and keep me working hard in the gym.” “I'm not sure I'm going to get anywhere,” Spence said a few days before the fight.“If I had fought a tune-up or someone I knew I had to beat, I don't think I would have been able to give it my all, 100 percent. Of course I wanted to win, I wanted to win, but fighting a guy with a big name like Danny Garcia, a great fighter like Danny Garcia, just pushed me to a new level, pushed me to the level I need to be at.”
Spence defeated Garcia by unanimous decision. He was scheduled to face Manny Pacquiao in August 2021 but had to withdraw from the bout instead. After suffering a retinal tear during sparringYordenis Ugas took his place and forced Pacquiao into retirement.
Spence came back and charged straight at Ugas.
“Obviously, I've had a couple of career-ending injuries,” he said. Spence said this just before the fight.“So, I feel like I'm on borrowed time right now, so I can't just sit back and do a tune-up fight and then something might happen or something like that. So, can you just send me in for a fight right away with some other fighters? And I think Ugas is going to come in for the fight because he's a tough fighter. He'll push me to that level.”
Spence stopped Ugas in the 10th round to win his third world title, Crawford's fourth. A matchup between these two pound-for-pound regulars had been rumored for years, but it took more time and negotiation to finally get the two in the same ring.
During that time, Crawford faced David Avanesyan and won. Spence's team I saw the fight with Thurman.That fight never happened. Spence was in another car accident.The accident was not his fault, but was caused by another driver hitting Spence's car.
“I don't believe in adjustments. They don't fit my pedigree, I'm not fighting anyone I should be beating and I know it's a showcase match.” “It's a big step forward for us,” Spence told ES News. Early 2023. “I think the fans deserve that too. They don't want to see me fight no-good guys or showbiz matches. They want to see me fight the best in the business.”
When Spence and Crawford finally came to an agreement, fans were left thinking, “Wow, this is the first time we've seen each other in a while.” The two met in July 2023. Crawford had been much more active, his win over Avanesyan coming eight months prior. Spence hadn't fought in over 15 months, dating back to his fight against Ugas.
After Spence lost, some wondered if inactivity was a factor. And maybe it was. Spence said afterward: His timing was “a little off.” But that may have as much to do with Crawford's expertise as it does Spence's ring rust.
Inactivity is no excuse, at least for Spence. This quote in response to another question about the May 2023 adjustment still applies in this situation.
“There's an eight- to 10-week training camp. If I'm not good enough in those eight to 10 weeks, I'm not good enough.” Spence says“I have about eight to 10 weeks to prepare for the fight. I'll spar and prepare for the fight. I need to be in top condition. I don't think I need another fight to be in shape and in top condition.”
Spence's approach is not for everyone, but that's okay. Fighters and their teams have different perspectives and mandates. I've heard many boxers talk about how it feels to step into the ring after a long break, and how the rounds they fought in training camp are different from the rounds they fought after the bell rang on fight day. I've seen fighters thrive when they're active. I've also seen fighters come back rejuvenated after a break.
Just because someone is an exception, and that exception is extraordinary, doesn't mean it should become the norm. For example, a fighter who fights through a bout despite sustaining serious injuries deserves praise. But that doesn't mean a fighter who quits a bout deserves criticism.
For Spence, the situation is different, but the approach remains the same. He just suffered his first professional defeat. He is 34, the last age considered the prime of most boxers' lives. Boxers of this era, even when perfectly healthy, are far less active than those of previous eras. The opportunity is there, and Spence is going to grab it, even if it means taking the risk.
Inactivity. Possible lingering physical and mental damage from the loss to Crawford. A new weight class. A new trainer. An unconventional opponent. And Spence underwent cataract surgery earlier this year.And some believe the car accident and the wear and tear of a mixed martial arts career may have weakened Spence more than he would like to admit.
The odds are looking pretty stacked against Spence, who may be gambling that the cards are being dealt in his favor, or he may be doing his part to improve the odds.
If he could lose seven pounds, Spence could be back in good spirits at 154 pounds.
This loss could provide further motivation for the fighter to face reality. I realized I wasn't making a living as a boxer..
Crawford could be motivated by a new weight class, a new opponent and challenges to overcome, and beating one of those new challenges could set up a rematch with an old one if Crawford beats Madrimov.
This is all just speculation and conjecture. The only thing that matters is the evidence.
Spence's professional career has been the realisation of his potential, a boxer who was thought to be better suited to the professional ranks despite losing at the 2012 Olympics, a boxer who was given the nickname “The Truth” and has lived up to it.
Spence won three of his four world titles at welterweight and was a close second at 147 pounds, losing only to one of the most talented boxers of his generation.
Is he still “the real deal”? The truth is, we won't know until October. Neither will Spence. That's still four or five months away, depending on when the Fandora fight is scheduled.
All the more reason to give up on the tune-up. Either way, we'll have an answer for Errol Spence by the end of 2024. Whether he wins or loses, we'll move on to the next question.
“What's next?”
Follow David Greisman on Twitter Fighting Words 2His book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing' is available for purchase on Amazon.
